US govt seeks 24-year jail, Nikhil Gupta pleads for 12
US State Department is learnt to have asked for 24 years in jail for Nikhil Gupta , the Indian national facing trial for an alleged assassination attempt on designated terrorist and chief of Sikhs For Justice group Gurpatwant Singh Pannun .
Gupta's counsel have requested a reduced sentence of 12 years while submitting a remorse letter to the judge ahead of sentencing Nov 20. They have requested the judge to consider the probation department's recommendation of a similar-duration jail term besides Gupta pleading guilty and not wasting the court's time. Prosecutors have, however, asked to consider his act of planning a murder on foreign soil as brazen and asked for the maximum sentence.
If he gets more than 12 months, Gupta may be eligible for term reduction of up to 15%Nikhil Gupta has claimed to be a victim of deception and claimed that he was promised by an individual to settle cases in exchange for plotting the killing.
In Feb, Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty to charges of murder-for-hire , conspiracy to commit it, and money laundering conspiracy which carry a statutory jail term of around 40 years. With this, he may be looking at a reduced sentence through an "acceptance of responsibility" credit.
Gupta (54), sources said, may receive a two- to three-level reduction, the standard reward for saving the court the time and expense of a trial. "But if US prosecutors prevail, a 20-year sentence seems likely. Gupta may have to serve around 80% of the awarded jail time with all parameters like good behaviour etc in place," said a source.
Under the United States law, if he receives a sentence longer than 12 months, he would be eligible for up to a 15% reduction (roughly two months a year) for good behaviour while incarcerated. Gupta has been held at the Brooklyn detention centre since his 2024 extradition from Prague.
Gupta's counsel have requested a reduced sentence of 12 years while submitting a remorse letter to the judge ahead of sentencing Nov 20. They have requested the judge to consider the probation department's recommendation of a similar-duration jail term besides Gupta pleading guilty and not wasting the court's time. Prosecutors have, however, asked to consider his act of planning a murder on foreign soil as brazen and asked for the maximum sentence.
If he gets more than 12 months, Gupta may be eligible for term reduction of up to 15%Nikhil Gupta has claimed to be a victim of deception and claimed that he was promised by an individual to settle cases in exchange for plotting the killing.
In Feb, Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty to charges of murder-for-hire , conspiracy to commit it, and money laundering conspiracy which carry a statutory jail term of around 40 years. With this, he may be looking at a reduced sentence through an "acceptance of responsibility" credit.
Gupta (54), sources said, may receive a two- to three-level reduction, the standard reward for saving the court the time and expense of a trial. "But if US prosecutors prevail, a 20-year sentence seems likely. Gupta may have to serve around 80% of the awarded jail time with all parameters like good behaviour etc in place," said a source.
Under the United States law, if he receives a sentence longer than 12 months, he would be eligible for up to a 15% reduction (roughly two months a year) for good behaviour while incarcerated. Gupta has been held at the Brooklyn detention centre since his 2024 extradition from Prague.
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